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Cornelia as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Cornelia

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The baby name Cornelia is a Female name , 4 syllables long and is pronounced /kɔrˈniːliə/ (kor-NEE-lee-ə).

Cornelia is Latin in Origin.

Gender: Female
Syllables: 4.0
Origin: Latin
Pronunciation: /kɔrˈniːliə/ (kor-NEE-lee-ə)

What is the meaning of the name Cornelia ?

The baby name Cornelia is a Female name , 4 syllables long and is pronounced /kɔrˈniːliə/ (kor-NEE-lee-ə).

Cornelia is Latin in Origin.

Cornelia is the feminine form of the ancient Roman family name Cornelius, borne by the patrician gens Cornelia. Its root is commonly linked to Latin cornu, "horn," or to the cornel (dogwood) tree, though an Etruscan origin has also been proposed; meanings are often given as "horn" or "of the cornel tree." In classical Rome the name was emblematic through Cornelia Africana, mother of the Gracchi, celebrated as an ideal matron, which helped establish its enduring respectability.

The name spread across Europe through Latin, flourishing in Dutch- and German-speaking regions and remaining familiar in Romance languages. International variants include Cornélie (French), Cornélia (Portuguese), Kornélia (Hungarian), and Kornelia (Polish, German, Scandinavian); Spanish and Italian use Cornelia. Diminutives and short forms range across Cora, Connie, Nell, Nel, Nella, Nelia, Lia, Corrie/Corry, and Nele/Neel. Usage in English peaked in the 19th century and now reads as a vintage classic.

Cornelia has the following similar or variant Names

Cornelia – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Ireland Girls 2025 #1 — 874
NA 0 #30 4 2,537
BN 0 #32 1 2,297
MD 0 #34 1 434
Austria Girls 1996 #52 167 59
Austria Girls 0 #60 1,498 1,885
CY 0 #60 1 1,632
LU 0 #65 2 2,830
AO 0 #77 1 2,729
BG 0 #82 1 1,799
Norway Girls 2025 #83 47 453
Germany Girls 0 #84 5,221 4,949
MD Girls 0 #86 7 865
JM 0 #92 2 3,714
Sweden Girls 2022 #93 95 1,568
Austria 0 #94 154 850
ID Girls 0 #95 8 3,319
QA 0 #106 1 7,011
CY Girls 0 #110 12 3,755
PH 0 #110 1 5,607
BN Girls 0 #113 2 5,459
HU 0 #115 1 1,675
KW 0 #119 3 5,216
NA Girls 0 #133 93 7,146
Switzerland Girls 2024 #134 2 1,786
GR 0 #134 2 3,911
PA 0 #138 1 3,797
EE Girls 0 #142 1 1,888
BW Girls 0 #149 3 4,216
MT Girls 0 #149 5 3,773
PR Girls 0 #167 1 3,171
HR 0 #181 1 2,081
LU Girls 0 #183 8 4,850
CZ 0 #186 1 3,154
AE 0 #187 1 10,220
RU 0 #194 1 3,641
Germany 0 #196 316 2,542
DK 0 #202 5 5,198
PL 0 #212 1 2,600
AO Girls 0 #217 1 4,575
HU Girls 0 #221 5 3,308
GR Girls 0 #226 17 6,293
BG Girls 0 #230 2 3,559
JM Girls 0 #243 17 7,507
GH 0 #244 5 5,396
PT 0 #250 1 4,161
JP Girls 0 #251 1 6,592
NA Boys 0 #253 1 6,830
TW Boys 0 #256 1 7,111
MO Girls 0 #260 4 7,056
DK Girls 0 #268 49 7,429
HR Girls 0 #280 10 3,687
Canada Girls 2024 #281 5 2,795
SG 0 #282 1 11,010
GH Girls 0 #286 39 6,973
TW Girls 0 #287 3 8,139
JO Girls 0 #338 2 7,570
QA Girls 0 #340 4 15,378
CZ Girls 0 #344 8 5,378
MY 0 #347 8 12,352
HK 0 #353 5 8,483
CN Girls 0 #357 3 8,829
PL Girls 0 #358 7 5,096
GH Boys 0 #361 1 8,138
MU Girls 0 #361 2 8,539
PH Girls 0 #364 27 13,098
NL 0 #368 24 2,481
ZA 0 #385 63 14,421
France Girls 2021 #403 3 3,185
BO 0 #403 6 6,868
IT Girls 0 #404 2,677 9,415
PH Boys 0 #408 1 11,440
EG 0 #412 1 6,387
OM Girls 0 #421 4 15,987
Spain 0 #432 21 2,326
ZA Girls 0 #433 1,244 25,928
CL 0 #434 1 6,867
PT Girls 0 #441 11 7,952
PA Girls 0 #446 36 9,861
RU Girls 0 #489 10 11,913
KW Girls 0 #503 13 19,177
PA Boys 0 #503 3 9,305
CO 0 #509 2 7,768
PS Girls 0 #512 12 10,981
CM Girls 0 #525 16 11,671
GT Girls 0 #536 6 7,500
UY Girls 0 #536 1 6,731
AE Girls 0 #538 16 20,968
IR Girls 0 #539 7 8,334
BO Girls 0 #558 54 9,488
CR Girls 0 #566 8 11,342
Spain Girls 0 #566 476 5,561
SG Girls 0 #568 19 18,916
BH 0 #587 1 17,937
AR Girls 0 #590 10 8,289
HK Girls 0 #600 16 16,104
IL Girls 0 #608 10 11,648
BO Boys 0 #621 2 9,244
NL Girls 0 #625 343 5,933
IT 0 #629 86 4,183
IN Girls 0 #653 2 13,121
Finland Girls 2026 #667 72 3,895
NG Girls 0 #672 116 15,093
LB 0 #690 1 13,263
SG Boys 0 #737 3 17,960
QA Boys 0 #742 2 18,093
KW Boys 0 #803 4 18,755
CL Girls 0 #839 13 14,098
TN 0 #862 4 13,765
MY Girls 0 #870 125 24,821
United States Girls 2024 #878 39 8,487
PE Girls 0 #899 45 14,861
SA Girls 0 #911 25 25,931
OM Boys 0 #917 2 17,948
BR Girls 0 #923 19 12,708
EG Boys 0 #924 2 15,035
Germany Boys 0 #943 10 5,697
CO Boys 0 #981 1 15,656
CO Girls 0 #998 81 16,140
NG Boys 0 #1,001 1 16,906
EG Girls 0 #1,003 7 14,742
MX Boys 0 #1,032 2 16,355
MX Girls 0 #1,126 58 17,781
ZA Boys 0 #1,166 13 25,619
MY Boys 0 #1,182 1 25,439
MA 0 #1,197 3 20,986
TR 0 #1,200 12 19,440
DZ 0 #1,233 2 20,130
IT Boys 0 #1,453 19 10,046
SA Boys 0 #1,691 1 28,008

Cornelia is popular in 74 countries — most recent births per country:

France
Norway
Sweden
United States
Switzerland

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People also ask about Cornelia

Cornelia is predominantly a girl's name.
Cornelia is a 4 syllable name, pronounced /kɔrˈniːliə/ (kor-NEE-lee-ə).
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Cornélia, Cornelie, Kornelia, Kornélia, Korneliya and Cornelya.
Across languages, Cornelia has these equivalents: Cornelius (male), Cornelis (Dutch, male), Kornélia (Hungarian), Kornelia (Polish/German/Scandinavian), Cornélia (French/Portuguese), and 1 more.
Yes, very popular — Cornelia ranked #1 in Ireland in 2025, and appears in official birth registries across 9 countries.
Cornelia ranks highest in Ireland (#1 in 2025).
Cornelia's popularity is rising significantly. It moved from #416 in 2011 to #403 in 2021 in France.